By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Nigerian government has called for collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to foster economic development and growth in the country and on the African continent.
Specifically, it sought partnerships with the global body on the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP) in the bid to connect Nigeria to Morocco and other African countries as well as the recharging of Lake Chad to tackle the global food security crisis and other existential threats.
Kashim Shettima, Vice President stated this during a bilateral meeting with President of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Mr. Børge Brende, on the sidelines of the ongoing annual meeting of WEF in Davos, Switzerland.
On the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, Senator Shettima said Nigeria will be in a vantage position to take advantage of the WEF platform to develop the gas project, pointing out that this will address the geopolitical challenges in Europe and the growing demand for energy due to artificial intelligence, data mining and storage.
He sought WEF’s collaboration in fundamental areas such as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP) which will connect Nigeria to Morocco and other African countries especially in transporting natural gas from Nigeria to North Africa and Europe to improve energy security and economic growth in the region.
VP Shettima told the WEF President that while Nigeria is a country blessed with gas, the nation is exploring every option to maximize available opportunities for economic growth and create wealth for its growing population.
On recharging of the Lake Chad, the Nigerian Vice President said apart from addressing the food security crisis, it will also put Nigeria in a vantage position to generate clean energy and combat terrorism.
The Vice President also informed the WEF President about the ongoing reforms being undertaken by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the Nigerian President has returned Nigeria to the part of sustained economic growth.
The Vice President also informed the WEF President about the ongoing reforms being undertaken by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the Nigerian President has returned Nigeria to the part of sustained economic growth. The Vice President invited the WEF President to Nigeria to meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while also intimating him of Nigeria’s readiness to host the WEF Africa.
Underscoring why fostering collaboration with WEF is germane to the growth of Africa, VP Shettima noted that apart from being the biggest economy in the continent, Nigeria is also the most populous nation in Africa, with 250 million people.
